When a dish reaches cult status, like pizza does, you can be sure that there will be a million-and-one variations to explore your pizzas fantasies through.
From classic New York and Neapolitan-style pies to inventive creations like dessert pizzas and pizzas cross pollinated with paninis and wraps, we’ve got your pizza cravings covered with this list.
1. Deep-dish pizza | Luca’s Corner
Pizzas from the Windy City are really more like true pies as these are thick crusted and baked in a deep dish pan so that they can be loaded up with a good inch or two of toppings. They say once you go deep-dish, it’s hard to go back to regular pizza. Luca’s Corner in BF Homes proves that theory right and it’s also one of the only places to offer this authentic Chicago dish. The Meet our Meat (PHP500 for a whole pizza) is terrific and it’s stuffed with mouthfuls of various meats. You can also opt for something lighter such as the Margherita (PHP360 for a whole pizza) so you can save space for the deep dish cookies (PHP40 each) for dessert. 129 R Tirona St, BF Homes, Parañaque; +63 906 559 0357, www.lucascorner.com. No dining area, delivery and pick-up only.
2. New York-style | S&R Membership Shopping
Pizza from the Big Apple is its own animal — it’s extra large (perfect for folding), often quite cheap, and made with only a few key ingredients such as mozzarella, tomato sauce and, if you like, pepperoni. There’s arguably only one spot in town that does this right, and it’s S&R Membership Shopping where their pizzas come huge, tasty, and cheap. Their classic pepperoni (PHP109 per slice; PHP629 per pizza) has the perfect combination of a crusty base, stringy cheese, tangy tomato sauce, and paper-thin slices of salty sausage. When it comes to this pizza, don’t fix it if it aint broken. 32nd St cor 5th Ave, BGC, Taguig; +63 2 8880640, www.snrshopping.com. Daily 9am-9pm. With branches metrowide.
3. Neapolitan-style | Motorino Pizza Manila
A few spots in the city do Neapolitan-style pies, but NYC pizza guru Motorino does it best. Their pizzas all start with the perfect Neapolitan crust — a slightly chewey, but crusty pizza with beautiful blackened blisters. The toppings here are simple with the ingredients complementing the perfect base. The Prosciutti di Parma (PHP585) with two cheeses and fresh arugula is always a good idea, as is the Mushroom and Sausage (PHP595) which comes with two cheeses, sausage, cremini mushroom, thyme, and kalamata olives. 2/L Greenbelt 3, Ayala Center, Makati; +63 2 7548018, www.facebook.com/motorinopizzaph. Sun-Thu 11am-11pm , Fri & Sat 11am-12am .
4. California-style | California Pizza Kitchen
Cali fare is all about farm fresh ingredients, bright flavors, and a mix of cuisines. California Pizza Kitchen have taken the Golden State’s culinary style to pizza and brought it to the world. Available either on thin or hand-tossed crusts are inventive recipes like the now legendary The Original BBQ Chicken (PHP225 for a personal pizza; PHP375 for a regular pizza) which comes with smoked Gouda, BBQ sauce, red onions and cilantro, and The Farmer’s Market (PHP225 for a personal pizza; PHP395 for a regular pizza) which is a cheese-loving vegetarian’s dream with zucchini, roasted squash, tomatoes, basil, mozzarella, goat cheese, and pecorino romano. LGL Century City Mall, Kalayaan Ave, Makati; +63 2 8934052, www.cpk.com.ph. Mon-Thu 11am-9pm, Fri & Sat 10am-10pm, Sun 10am-9pm. With branches metrowide.
5. DIY and dessert pies | Project Pie
This American brand of do-it-yourself pies is the go-to stop for picky eaters with elaborate orders. These pizzas start with a pizza dough that is made in house on the daily. After they are sprinkled with toppings, they’re cooked for an exact two minutes. Because true pizza lovers can stomach more than one pizza per sitting, these folks also offer two dessert pizzas: S’mores (PHP145) with marshmallows and Nutella as well as the self-explanitory Banana Nutella (PHP145). 515 Shaw Blvd, Bgy Wack-Wack, Mandaluyong; www.projectpie.ph. Fri-Sun 10am-1am, Mon-Thu 10am-11pm. With branches metrowide.
6. Thin-crust Italian-style | Caruso Ristorante Italiano
Most thin-crust Italian-style pizzas have a slightly dry crust which is crunchy around the corners and slightly moist towards the center of the pie. Caruso Ristorante Italiano in Bel Air bakes some of the most authentic Italian pizzas while offering a good variety of traditional Italian eats. The variations are classic, such as the artichoke and ham-filled Capricciosa (PHP730) and the Frutti di Mare (PHP730) which is topped with a variety of seafood. LRI Plaza, 210 Nicanor Garcia (formerly Reposo) St, Makati; +63 2 8952451, www.facebook.com/carusomanila. Daily 10:30am-2:30pm, 6:30pm-11pm.
7. Flatbread roll ups | Mona Lisa Ristorante
“Panizze,” or a hybrid of panini and pizza dough formed into a rectangle, sliced height-wise, and served with arugula and alfalfa to roll the pizza in, is quite the Filipino creation. This pizza has been seen all over — from high brow to low— but Mona Lisa Ristorante does a unique one. Offered here is the Mona Lisa Speciale (PHP710), alongside other panizze, which is made with pink tomato sauce, mozzarella, provolone, garlic, shrimp, and herbs. With all these green, this qualifies as a salad right? But for those looking for the original panizze, head over to the chef who started it all when we had a restaurant in Pampanga. Chris Locher, whose My Kitchen restaurant is now near Paco Park, still does the best one. 5/L SM Aura, BGC, Taguig; +63 2 4036834, www.monalisaristorantephilippines. With branches metrowide.
